Places are today subject to contrary tendencies. They lose some functions, which may scale up to fewer more centralized places, or down to numerous more dispersed places, and they gain other functions, which are scaling up and down from other places. This prompts premature prophecies of the abolition of space and the obsolescence of place. At the same time, a growing literature testifies to the persistence of place as an incorrigible aspect of human experience, identity, and morality. Place is a common ground for thought and action, a community of experienced particulars that avoids solipsism and universalism. It draws us into the philosophy of the ordinary, into familiarity as a form of knowledge, into the wisdom of proximity. Each of these essays offers a philosophy of place, and reminds us that such philosophies ultimately decide how we make, use, and understand places, whether as accidents, instruments, or fields of care.

Essays on the brief but tumultuous reign of Harold II, and one of our most important sources of knowledge of the time - the Bayeux Tapestry. Harold II is chiefly remembered today, perhaps unfairly, for the brevity of his reign and his death at the Battle of Hastings. The papers collected here seek to shed new light on the man and his milieu before and after that climax. They explore the long career and the dynastic network behind Harold Godwinesson's accession on the death of King Edward the Confessor in January 1066, looking in particular at the important questions as to whether Harold's kingship was opportunist or long-planned; a usurpation or a legitimate succession in terms of his Anglo-Scandinavian kinships? They also examine the posthumous legends that Harold survived Hastings and lived on as a religious recluse.The essays in the second part of the volume focus on the Bayeux Tapestry, bringing out the small details which would have resonated significantly for contemporary audiences, both Norman and English, to suggest how they judged Harold and the other players in the succession drama of 1066. Other aspects of the Tapestry are also covered: the possible patron and locations the Tapestry was produced for; where and how it was designed; and the various sources - artistic and real - employed by the artist. Contributors: H.E.J. Cowdrey, Nicholas J. Higham, Ian Howard, Gillian Fellows-Jensen, Stephen Matthews, S.L. Keefer, Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Chris Henige, Catherine Karkov, Shirley Ann Brown, C.R. Hart, Michael Lewis. GALE OWEN-CROCKER is Professor of Anglo-Saxon Culture at the University of Manchester.

New insight gained into this exciting period of English history through focusing on the activities of Swein Forkbeard and, after his death in 1014, the Danish warlord Thorkell the Tall. From the battle of Maldon in 991 during the reign of AEethelred (the Unready), England was invaded by Scandinavian armies of increasing size and ferocity. Swein Forkbeard, king of Denmark, played a significant part in these invasions, which culminated in the domination of England and the long reign of his son, Cnut. This analysis of the invasions demonstrates beyond doubt that AEthelred was no indolent and worthless king who bribed invading Vikings to goaway: his relationship with the Scandinavian armies was more complex and more interesting than has been supposed. It is equally apparent that Swein was more than a marauding Viking adventurer: he was a sophisticated politician who laid the foundations for a great northern empire which was ruled by his descendents for many years after his death. New insight into this exciting period of English history is gained by focusing on the activities of Swein Forkbeard and, after his death in 1014, the Danish warlord Thorkell the Tall, both outstanding warriors and political leaders of what is sometimes called 'the Second Viking Age'. Many factors leading to the invasions and conquest are investigated through a critical analysis of the chronology of events, an explanation of the economic background, plotting the itineraries of the Scandinavian armies, and a fresh examination ofthe sources, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Encomium, and John of Worcester's Chronicle. IAN HOWARD has a PhD from Manchester University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. After a career in industry and commerce, he has returned to full-time research and has produced several papers covering a variety of aspects of early medieval history.

Harthacnut was the last of three Danish kings to rule in England between 1013 and 1042. Although he was king of Denmark for many years, Harthacnut only ruled England directly for the last two years of his life. Yet he shaped the course of English history most profoundly. Because his mother was Emma of Normandy, Harthacnut ensured that Emma's son by a previous marriage, Edward the Confessor, should succeed him as king of England. This established the Norman claim to the English throne. An understanding of Harthacnut's adventurous career, his complicated family relationships, and the manner in which he created a northern empire based upon sea power and trade now enables us to appreciate more fully why the Norman Conquest of England came about.

Aethelred II is more commonly known by the epithet "the Unready," and it is precisely this popular image of incompetence which Ian Howard's biography is intended to put to rest. In constructing a chronological narrative of Aethelred's lengthy (38 year) and in parts successful reign Howard draws by preference on strictly contemporary sources, reserving later Scandinavian and Norman sources for an epilogue describing the posthumous assault on the king's reputation. Appendices provide detailed analysis of problems of dating, of the MS D version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and of Aethelredian coinage and fiscal policy.